The Waveney Valley Ecumenical Partnership

Encouraged by a Living Witness to Christian Unity in the Waveney Valley:  the County Ecumenical Officer reports

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the Waveney Valley Ecumenical Partnership (WVEP), held at London Road Methodist/URC Church in Harleston and chaired by Rev David Ely, Superintendent Minister of the Thetford, Diss and Mildenhall Methodist Circuit. I had been kindly invited to speak and was greatly encouraged by the enthusiasm, commitment, and warmth of those gathered.

As County Ecumenical Officer for Norfolk and Waveney, I visit many churches, partnerships, and local Churches Together groups. What struck me immediately about the Waveney Valley Ecumenical Partnership was the evident sense of shared purpose among those present. There was a genuine desire not merely to work alongside one another, but to grow together as Christian disciples and witnesses to the Gospel.

The partnership itself is a remarkable example of ecumenical cooperation. Situated along the River Waveney between Harleston and Bungay, WVEP brings together six churches from Methodist, United Reformed, and Anglican traditions. These include Emmanuel Church in Bungay, London Road Church in Harleston, the churches in Denton, Fressingfield, Pulham Market, and Wortwell. Together they seek to worship, serve, and witness in ways that transcend denominational boundaries while remaining faithful to their respective traditions. 

Their work represents one of the most established and fruitful examples of local ecumenism in our region. In a time when many institutions struggle to build trust and cooperation, it offers a powerful example of what can be achieved when Christians intentionally walk together.

In my talk, I reflected on several lessons I have learned during almost three years as County Ecumenical Officer. The central theme was that Christian unity is not primarily an institutional project or a theological challenge to be solved. Rather, it is fundamentally a spiritual calling. At its heart lies the challenge of learning to see one another properly in Christ.

I suggested that division often survives because of distance. It is easy to form assumptions about Christians we never meet and to inherit misconceptions about traditions we do not know. Yet when Christians pray together, serve together, and encounter one another’s faithfulness firsthand, those assumptions begin to weaken. Unity starts not with organisational structures but with encounter.

Drawing upon the philosopher Iris Murdoch, I explored the idea of “unselfing” - moving beyond our own preoccupations in order to see reality and other people more truthfully. Ecumenism, I suggested, requires a similar movement beyond denominational self-interest towards a deeper appreciation of what the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of other Christians.

I also reflected upon the importance of trust and testimony. The philosophers Thomas Reid, C. A. J. Coady, and Onora O’Neill, all help us understand how communities are built upon trustworthy relationships. Christian unity cannot be sustained by goodwill alone. It grows through patient, truthful, and consistent relationships in which trustworthiness is demonstrated over time.

Finally, I spoke about the distinction between unity and uniformity. Drawing on Pentecost and the ecumenical vision frequently articulated by the late Pope Francis, I argued that Christian unity does not require the erasure of difference. Rather, it seeks what Francis called a “reconciled diversity” in which different traditions retain their particular gifts while being drawn into deeper communion with one another.

The Waveney Valley Ecumenical Partnership already embodies much of this vision. Its churches demonstrate that cooperation, friendship, prayer, and shared witness are not distant aspirations but living realities. Their work reminds us that ecumenism is something lived out week by week in local communities by ordinary Christians committed to following Christ together.

I left the meeting encouraged and hopeful. In a society often marked by division and conflict, partnerships such as WVEP offer a visible sign that reconciliation is possible. They remind us that the Holy Spirit continues to draw Christians together and that the prayer of Jesus “that they may all be one… so that the world may believe” remains as compelling today as ever.

To learn more about the Waveney Valley Ecumenical Partnership, visit: Waveney Valley Ecumenical Partnership Website⁠

A full transcript of my talk can be downloaded here: CEO Talk June 2026

Please join me in praying for the Waveney Valley Ecumenical Partnership, its churches, ministers, leaders, and congregations.

Lord Jesus Christ, you prayed that your followers might be one so that the world may believe. We thank you for the faithful witness of the Waveney Valley Ecumenical Partnership and for all who work, pray, worship, and serve together in your name.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon their churches. Deepen their friendships, strengthen their common witness, and guide them in all their plans and decisions. Grant them wisdom, courage, patience, and joy as they continue to serve their communities.

May their partnership be a visible sign of your reconciling love and a source of blessing to all whom they encounter. Help us all to grow in unity, trust, and faithfulness, so that your Church may more clearly reflect your will for the world.

For you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

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Article by Dr Ian Watson. The talk he delivered forms part of his ongoing series of reflections on Christian unity and public witness. Ian is always happy to be invited to meet with and share his thoughts on ecumenism with local Christian and Churches Together groups – just email him at: nwct-watson@outlook.com  For readers who wish to explore his wider reflections these can be accessed on the NWCT website: Opinion Pieces and Reflections.

Image generated with the assistance of OpenAI.
 
 
 

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